Pride Houston 365 Trendsetter Grand Marshal: Olivia Julianna

“To see the LGBTQ+ community in Houston come together so lovingly inspires hope. It is a reminder that we are not in this fight alone, and that multiple generations are working to make things more equitable and just. I hope to continue to use my platform to highlight the intersection of abortion access and 
the LGBTQ+ community, as well as how the attacks against our community
and other marginalized communities are linked together. Our elected officials
are attacking the community, and they must be held accountable.” — Olivia Julianna

Known For:
Abortion activism, electoral politics activism, and her social-media presence focusing on politics and activism. She has over 1 million followers across the platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok, writing as @0liviajulianna.

Advocacy:
Fighting for LGBTQ rights within the electoral system by working to elect politicians who are representative of the community and who are fighters for our rights.

Favorite Cause:
Texas! Everything about Texas! Whether it be fighting to restore abortion access, protect public education, enshrine LGBTQ rights, or uplift the working class, Julianna’s main purpose in life is to make Texas the beacon of hope and change that her great-grandparents believed in when they immigrated here from Mexico. She believes that it’s possible, and it will happen in her lifetime.

Dream to Change the World:
That reproductive autonomy will be definite for every individual across the globe, that healthcare will be guaranteed, that autonomy is enshrined in every facet of government, and that freedom over our own bodies prevails.

Ultimate Life Mission: 
To uphold her family and her culture. When her great-grandparents moved to Texas in the 1920s, they were farmers in the Houston area. Barabra Jordan once said, “I get from the soil and the spirit of Texas the feeling that I, as an individual, can accomplish whatever I want, and that there are no limits.”

Julianna feels the seeds of her own American dream were planted in the Texas soil by her great-grandparents and watered by generations of activists, fighters, and icons. Every time she has accomplished something important or personally significant—whether it be meeting the president of the United States, doing a roundtable about reproductive healthcare access at the White House, or traveling the country to meet governors and elected officials to fight for our rights—she knows that this is the hope her ancestors had. Her mission is to make them proud and to never lose sight of who she is or where she came from, and to bring them with her everywhere she goes in spirit and in love.

Favorite Hashtag:
# MyBodyMyChoice

What: The 46th Annual Official Houston LGBT+ Pride Celebration: Festival & Parade
When: Saturday, June 29 (Parade is 7:30–10:00 p.m.)
Where: Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby Street
Info: pridehouston365.org